He Yiming let out a sudden, long sigh. "Senior," he said, "now that you speak so frankly, are you not afraid that my confidence might be affected?" In a battle between two equally matched individuals, if one side lacks confidence, there is simply no point in continuing the fight.

He Min smiled faintly. "Is your confidence affected?" He Yiming let out a wry laugh. "No." As he uttered those two words, the expression in his eyes remained perfectly tranquil, as if discussing something utterly trivial.

He Min nodded with satisfaction. Just by observing He Yiming's nonchalant demeanor, he knew that this matter had not settled heavily on He Yiming's mind. Since it wasn't even occupying his thoughts, how could it possibly shake his confidence?

"Jin Zhanyi is renowned throughout the Great Eastern Shen, heralded as the most exceptionally gifted talent of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall in the last thousand years. His future prospects are limitless," He Min stated solemnly. "He is most proficient in techniques involving the Earth, Metal, and Water elements, with his mastery of Metal techniques being the most profound."

He Yiming's eyebrows twitched slightly; he understood that the Senior was subtly informing him of Jin Zhanyi's specialties.

Regarding Jin Zhanyi, He Yiming had been completely in the dark—beyond sensing his sheer power, he knew nothing else. Although his light body movement techniques had been somewhat revealed while tracking the Celestial Pool Venerable today, it was far from knowing him inside and out.

Though He Min's words were few, they had etched a vivid image in He Yiming's mind.

"He Yiming, once your cultivation realm stabilizes, engaging in an unrestrained battle with Jin Zhanyi should be quite beneficial for you," He Min spoke again.

He Yiming was surprised. "Senior, sparring with a master of the same rank always brings some benefits, does it not?"

A complex expression crossed He Min's face, and he sighed softly. "Brother Ai mentioned to me that you possess the Five Elements power and have obtained the Five Elements Ring. Although you have already manifested the Three Flowers, I hope you will temporarily postpone attempting the Apex Convergence."

He Yiming immediately recognized the extreme internal conflict in his tone when he said this.

Once the Three Flowers converged at the apex, one's strength would undergo a qualitative leap, signifying true entry into the world's highest echelon. At that point, the outcome of a confrontation with Jin Zhanyi would be self-evident.

However, among the Three Flowers He Yiming possessed, one was the Flower of Wind—a tangible flower not belonging to the Five Elements. If this became one of the three converging points, and he achieved Apex Convergence, it would inevitably exert some influence on the Five Elements Ring, ultimately preventing it from ever displaying its true might.

After a moment of contemplation, He Yiming said, "Senior, truthfully, I have no absolute certainty regarding when I can manifest the third Five Elements Flower."

"You already have the Flowers of Fire and Earth. Since Earth generates Metal, you should focus heavily on studying Metal techniques next. This might be a shortcut for your continued breakthrough," He Min shook his head slightly. "Jin Zhanyi specializes in Metal techniques; the sharpness inherent in the Metal element is brought to a near-perfect state within him. After you fight him, you should gain a clear understanding—this is a rare opportunity."

He Yiming felt a profound stir within, even experiencing an urge to test his skills immediately.

He Min rummaged through his robes and produced a manual, tossing it over casually.

He Yiming caught it. The first line, written in elegant small script, read: "Meditations on Cultivating Metal Techniques."

His heart skipped a beat. He had read many such treatises, especially in the secret chambers of the Ancestral Hall of the Hengshan lineage, where numerous records of this nature were kept. Nevertheless, since the senior offered this out of kindness, he certainly couldn't be foolish enough to say something that would make them both uncomfortable.

Gently turning to the first page, He Yiming read every word meticulously.

Slowly, the expression in his eyes grew grave, and after a few moments, a faint trace of pleasant surprise emerged. He did not know the author of this book, but one thing was certain: the senior who wrote this manual must have been a venerable expert who cultivated Earth, Metal, and Fire techniques concurrently.

Among experts who had condensed the Three Flowers, those specializing in Metal were inherently few. Although the Hengshan lineage had produced three peak-level masters, none of them had cultivated these three elemental techniques. As for other first-tier experts who practiced Metal arts, how could their comprehension and mastery of Metal power compare to a Venerable who had reached Three Flowers Apex Convergence?

For He Yiming now, this book was an absolute treasure of incalculable worth.

Muttering softly to himself, He Yiming unconsciously made a gesture with his other hand. A moment later, he startled awake—this was hardly the place for studying martial arts.

Looking up, he immediately saw He Min smiling with undisguised appreciation; clearly, the old man held no displeasure regarding his momentary absorption in the text.

"I became engrossed; I beg your pardon, Senior," He Yiming said respectfully, breathing a silent sigh of relief.

He Min waved his hand and chuckled. "We are both cultivators, our shared aspiration towards the Martial Dao is the foundation of our success. To blame you for that would be to slap my own face." He paused, looking at He Yiming with eyes full of goodwill. "I heard from Brother Ai that you already possess a primal secret manual for Metal techniques, and you can even manifest its binding abilities. Therefore, I will not gift you another manual, but only offer this copy of a predecessor Venerable's insights, hoping it proves helpful."

He Yiming bowed deeply. "Thank you for your generosity, Senior; I am deeply grateful."

These words were absolutely sincere, stemming from the depths of his heart. He had now condensed the Flowers of Fire and Earth from the Five Elements. Following the principle of mutual generation, his next step naturally should be attempting to condense the Flower of Metal. This manual, written by a Venerable who concurrently practiced Earth, Metal, and Fire, was of unparalleled value to him now. Although He Yiming knew the Senior intended this gift to give him more confidence against Jin Zhanyi, he was nonetheless immensely appreciative.

He Min laughed heartily. "I have said what I needed to say. How you proceed from here is entirely up to you."

A sudden thought flashed through He Yiming's mind, and he asked, "Senior He, Jin Zhanyi is pursuing another person; do you truly think he will catch up?"

A trace of pride flashed in He Min's eyes. "Rest assured, even if he chases to the ends of the horizon, he will find nothing."

Hearing such a decisive and unwavering reply, He Yiming immediately understood that the person being pursued must also be a Venerable-level expert. Imagining Jin Zhanyi tracking such an individual made He Yiming feel a strange mix of amusement and helplessness. If Jin Zhanyi knew the identity of the person ahead, his first impulse would likely be to turn tail and flee.

He Min turned, sweeping his long sleeves, preparing to depart. However, a quick glance caught something—what seemed to be a dark shadow concealed nearby.

His heart leaped in alarm, and his body froze for a split second. With his power, he was genuinely a top-tier Venerable, yet someone had managed to approach him silently and unseen. If his peripheral vision hadn't chanced upon the slightest anomaly, he wouldn't even have detected the other's presence. A moment of shock was swiftly followed by a surge of rare anger.

He let out a cold snort, his feet instantly planting themselves as if nailed to the ground. A grim voice grated through his clenched teeth: "Show yourself..."

He Yiming was slightly stunned, his ears twitching several times, but unexpectedly, he detected no sound whatsoever. He looked at the seemingly furious He Min, filled with immense admiration. Truly worthy of being a Venerable-level expert, to detect an enemy hidden so deeply.

However, a moment later, a gust of wind swept by, and aside from the rustling of leaves in the forest, there was absolute silence.

He Yiming blinked twice, growing increasingly puzzled. Yet, considering the noble status of the old man before him, surely he wasn't speaking nonsense.

He Min's expression gradually turned grim. He let out a dry chuckle. "Since Your Excellency refuses to heed my words, then let this old man act and personally drag you out."

When He Yiming heard this voice from He Min, he couldn't help but shudder slightly. The amiable image he held of the old man underwent a drastic reversal. Judging by this tone alone, it reminded He Yiming of the terrifying assassin Sima Yin from his past. It was only then that He Yiming realized this veteran Venerable was no saint; the deference he received was merely because He Yiming now represented the entire Celestial Pool, perhaps even the entire Northwest.

He Min waved his great sleeve, and a streak of dark light shot across the air like lightning, piercing a giant tree and exploding on the other side. This was the power of Water, compressed instantly into a water arrow. The sheer force contained within that arrow truly caused He Yiming to feel utterly humbled. The might of this elder was thus plainly evident.

But even after the explosion, there was still no sound from behind the tree—nothing beyond the burst of the water arrow.

A look of bewilderment crossed He Min's eyes. With a slight movement, he arrived behind the giant tree. Even with his composure, he couldn't help but be dumbfounded. On the ground before him, apart from some damage caused by the water arrow's impact, there were no other traces.

Only then did he understand; he must have seen incorrectly. At this point, he would rather believe his eyes had deceived him than accept that someone could have stealthily departed under his watch.

He Yiming also approached the back of the tree, sweeping his gaze around, a hint of doubt in his eyes. Although He Min had lived for centuries, his aged face was as thick as a city wall, yet at this moment, he still felt a touch of awkwardness.

He forced a laugh. "This old man saw incorrectly just now. He Yiming, until we meet next time..."

Before the words were finished, he had already slipped away in a single stride, quickly vanishing into the rugged mountain path.

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